DEFENDING THE PEN – is all about murder . . . and romance . . . writing it! I post interviews, book reviews, and flash fiction, and occasionally it's all about me. Careful . . . you may end up the victim . . . of fun!

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Monday, July 20, 2015

MY MAGIC MIKE!

I've
written millions of words and now have 2 published books and a 3rd
on the way, Murder & Obsession. But an odd thing happened on the way
to publication, I'm suddenly stumped even wordless—innovation is gone because
my publisher has asked for a tagline and blurb.

They want me to turn a 140,000-word
manuscript into one or two sentences, and then entice the reader in 100 words
or less with a blurb. I go blank.

I panic; well I did until I met Michael
Di Gesú, creative genius and my own personal Magic Man! Sorry, Channing Tatum,
but Michael Di Gesú was the 'Magic Man' long before you claimed the title!

To show you the process we go through I'm
showing my originals and Michael's response, and how, after just a few emails
we came up with perfection!

My original tagline was:

One man's
obsession will create every possible obstacle for an ill-fated couple.

Michael said.

"This can use a bit of punching
up…."

Flames
burn between a hardboiled cop and an aspiring artist but soon extinguish as
another man’s obsession ignites into a towering inferno, destroying the
couple’s happiness.

I countered with:

Flames burn between a hardboiled cop and a gifted artist but
soon extinguish as another man’s obsession ignites into a towering inferno of desire
that drives him to destroy the object of his madness.

Michael responded with:

Flames burn between a hardboiled cop and a gifted artist but soon
extinguish as another man’s obsession ignites into a towering inferno of
desire, driving him to destroy the object of his madness…Sarah.

RESULT:

Flames burn
between a hardboiled cop and a gifted artist,
but soon extinguish as another man’s obsession ignites into an inferno of
desire, driving him to destroy the object of his madness.

*****

My
original blurb was:

The road to marital bliss is
never easy, but for Detective Quaid and his fiancée, Sarah Davis the path down
the aisle to the altar is a minefield.

His grandfather's cabin was
to be their honeymoon retreat; instead, it becomes a crime scene. Running from
incarceration was supposed to help Steven find answers, but while he fooled the
trackers, he couldn't outsmart the ultimate predator. Not once the grizzly had
his scent.

Mauled, shot, and no longer
a cop, can Steven Quaid bring the actual culprit to justice?

Michael's suggestion was:

Love is
never easy, but for Detective Steve Quaid and his fiancée, Sarah, their road to
happiness is laden with minefields.

Steve’s
countless hours reconverting his grandfather’s cabin into the perfect honeymoon
nest for Sarah soon becomes the bloody crime scene for her death. Distraught,
Steve is accused and escapes into the Alaskan mountains, biding his time to
find the truth…

Who killed
his beloved?

A seasoned
woodsman, he outsmarts even the cleverest of trackers. All but one…

Mauled by
a grizzly, he barely escapes.

But will
he live to bring the true murderer to
Justice?

My response after the fewest of changes was:

I knew you could take my meanderings and create magic!
Thank you!

RESULT:

Love is
never easy, but for Detective Steve Quaid and his fiancée, Sarah, their road to
happiness is laden with minefields.

Steven’s
countless hours reconverting his grandfather’s cabin into the perfect honeymoon
retreat for Sarah soon becomes a bloody crime scene detailing her death.
Accused, Steven escapes into the Alaskan mountains, biding his time to find the
truth…

Who killed
his beloved?

A seasoned
woodsman, he outsmarts even the cleverest of trackers. All but one…

Mauled by a
grizzly, a half-dead Steven barely escapes.

But will he
live to bring the true murderer to
justice?

*****

It was that easy!If you've finished your masterpiece and suddenly feel intimidated

If you're
looking to tighten your writing, eliminate the fat or just kick-start your
creativity consider joining the WEP - Write...Edit...Publish Flash Fiction Challenges.
Hosted by the indomitable and talented Denise Covey and me, her assistant, this
year we have three challenges scheduled. 1000 words, short story, poem,
photography, screenplay - you decide, but
please consider joining the fun! WEP 2015!

Thank you everyone for stopping by. Isn't Michael amazing? His work and his willingness to help, even at the oddest of times, never fails to inspire me. I don't know that I'll ever create a tagline or blurb that I don't consult with him on before publishing. He's pure MAGIC!

Would love to hear from you, say hello and leave your blog address - I'll visit, but please take with you my undying gratitude that you stopped by for a read. Be well, be happy, and may your blog surfing bring you joy!